


Parisian Nights

by misura



Category: Burnt (2015)
Genre: Gen, Paris (City), Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-19 14:58:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13126071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: A typical night at Le Saint Sauveur.





	Parisian Nights

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Liviania](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liviania/gifts).



Tony stumbled, the sounds and the stink of the crowd washing over him - Le Saint Sauveur at the three A.M. was not a place where civilized men and women came to enjoy a glass of wine, but then Michel grabbed one of his arms while Reece grabbed the other, and Max snapped something unintelligible in Italian (which Tony should be able to speak by now, but didn't), probably about how he was going to cut off someone's nose or fingers or ears, and just like that, they were through, at the bar where Adam was sitting, looking like he was several drinks ahead of them.

When Adam walked into Le Saint, the crowd parted for him somehow, like Moses and the Red Sea, except that where Moses had been a guide to his people, Adam had blithely left the rest of them behind.

"One of those glasses had better been for me," Reece said, taking the chair to the left of Adam.

Max glanced at Tony and took the one on the other side of Reece.

"Sure. That one." Adam pointed. "Oops. Guess Drank it already."

"You're an asshole," Reece said, signalling the bartender.

"No, _you're_ an asshole," Adam replied.

Tony gingerly sat down on the chair on the other side of him, under no illusion that it would matter, that Adam would suddenly turn and look at him and say -

"Tony! Mon petit! Ca va?" Adam beamed at him like Tony was his favorite person in the world.

For the moment, the sentiment might even be sincere - or as sincere as any feeling Adam expressed at any time of the day. Tony had no idea when Adam had last been sober. He suspected none of the others knew, either. "Ca va," he said. "Thank you for asking."

"Want to buy me a drink?" Adam's eyes were very bright. Pretty, though, like the rest of him, if you discounted his personality. "I'm in a good mood. I'd let you."

"Very generous," Tony said.

"Fuck's sake, Adam," Reece said. "Leave him alone, will you? You want to fuck someone, find yourself a woman. God knows there's plenty of those around. It stands to reason at least one of them's got to be drunk or stoned enough to say 'yes'."

"I don't want to fuck," Adam protested. "I came here to get a drink. Tony'll buy me one. He thinks I'm pretty."

"Actually, I also think you're an asshole, like Mr Reece here," Tony said.

"See?" Adam told Reece. "He gets it. He gets me. Best damn maitre'd in Europe. Knows all about wines and folding napkins and stuff like that."

Reece scowled. Objectively speaking, Reece was the better chef. More consistent than Adam, less prone to temper tantrums and binge-drinking and trying out every drug ever invented.

But then Adam would somehow find just the right high, and for a few hours or sometimes days, he'd be genius. He'd be brilliant and happy, and Tony would watch him cook and know that even if Adam never got like this again for the rest of his life, Tony'd still be in love with the memory of him.

It was rather inconvenient, when it wasn't breaking his heart and making him wish he'd taken his father's advice to settle down with a nice young man.

"Yes," Tony said. "Stuff like that. You can pay for your own damn drink, by the way."

"Was it something I said?" Adam asked. "Did I offend you? Don't be like that, Tony. My little Tony."

"He's drunk," Reece said. "Or high. Probably both."

"Probably, yes," Tony said. "No matter. As long as he can cook tomorrow, it's all good. N'est-ce pas?"

"You're a much better man than any of us - Adam, definitely included," Reece said. "I hope you know that. I mean, as far as people who aren't chefs go, you're all right. You're smart. Too smart to be pining after someone like Adam."

"Ah." Tony smiled, raising his glass in a toast. "Pity it doesn't work like that, non?"

"L'amour," Adam said. "She's a bitch, so fuck her. All right, all of you assholes and Tony, next round's on me. You order something expensive, I'll kill you for your wallet."

"Honestly, I can see the attraction," Reece said.

"Shut up about Tony and tell me about what the fuck you tried to do with that beef sauce," Adam said.

Tony drank his drink and listened to them talk, watching the way Adam's face lit up when he talked about things that mattered to him.


End file.
